Render Default MP2 vs MP2 DVA + AC3

kirkdickinson wrote on 12/6/2005, 10:10 AM
I have rendered a project using the Mainconcept MP2 default settings which has video and audio. When I bring it into Architect, it seems to work fine and will fit on a DVD. (single layer)

When I render seperately as recomended in the DVA help file and use the Architect setting for video on and then render again for the audio in AC3, the files will not fit on a DVD.

What is the difference between the two methods?

Does the second method give better results in sound or video?

Thanks,

Kirk

Comments

ScottW wrote on 12/6/2005, 11:17 AM
Video bitrate. The average bitrate is 4,000 Kb/s for the default template and 6,000 Kb/s for the DVDA template.
kirkdickinson wrote on 12/6/2005, 11:42 AM
So, if I am trying to get a project to fit, should I use the two step method and set the bitrate down, or should I just run it all in one step with the default template?

I assume the default outputs PCM sound, right?

Kirk
johnmeyer wrote on 12/6/2005, 12:20 PM
NEVER use the default template for anything, especially for making a DVD. The quality settings are all wrong for DVD. Just forget this template exists. Sony made it the default so stupid reviewers would get really fast renders -- most of them don't look carefully at the final result.

To render for DVD, choose the appropriate DVD Architect template (NTSC if you live in the states, PAL for most others). Only choose wide-screen if your video is wide-screen. Then, before you start the render, click on Custom and choose an average bitrate that will just make your video fit. To know what this bitrate needs to be, you need to use a bitrate calculator, like this one:

Bitrate Calculator

Leave all the other settings alone (including the max and min bitrates), and click OK, and then start your render.
kirkdickinson wrote on 12/6/2005, 1:45 PM
OK, thanks.

That is exactly the explaination that my simple mind needed. :-)

Kirk
JohnnyRoy wrote on 12/8/2005, 6:19 AM
> Does the second method give better results in sound or video?

YES!, John Meyer has already covered why the video is better but let me address the sound part. If your source is DV, the sound on your timeline is uncompressed PCM. The highest quality you can have. If you render a single MPEG2 file, the sound is compressed to MPEG2 audio (MPEG-1 Layer II I believe). Then DVD Architect will RECOMPRESS this to AC3! which is what’s required for a compliant NTSC DVD (PAL allows MPEG2 audio but NTSC does not) You don’t want to do this.

Your audio is being compressed twice using the first method. The second method where you generate an AC3 file direct from the Vegas timeline will always give you better audio because it is only being compressed once.

I wrote a free script that will output your DVD renders for you in DVD Architect data stream MPEG2 and AC3. Just download it from the VASST Freeware page. It’s called DVDPrep and is dead easy to use (I use it all the time). ;-)

~jr